Artichoke Oyster Soup

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.02

Title: ARTICHOKE OYSTER SOUP
Categories: Soups, Usenet
Yield: 6 servings

6 T Butter, melted
1/2 c Shallots (chopped fine)
1/4 t Thyme
1 Bay leaf
1/2 t Cayenne pepper
2 T Flour
14 oz Chicken broth
-(more or less won't hurt)
4 c Oysters, drained; reserve
-liquid (less, to taste)
14 oz Artichoke hearts, cooked
2 t Salt
1/4 t Tabasco
1/2 c Whipping cream
3 T Parsley (chopped, fresh)

In a 3-quart casserole, melt butter and saute shallots. When shallots are
translucent, add thyme, bay leaf and cayenne pepper. Add flour and whisk
well. Add broth, oyster water, artichoke hearts, salt and tabasco. Bring
to a boil. Add oysters and parsley. Simmer on medium, partly covered, for
exactly 5 minutes. Add whipped cream and serve immediately.

NOTES:

* Chicken broth with artichokes and poached oysters -- This is a modern
cajun-style recipe that I adapted from a local convenience-food cookbook by
Jean Durkee. It's an intriguing combination of modern American ingredients
with traditional cajun flavorings.

* Fresh parsley tastes much better than dried parsley. If the oysters are
bigger than a small bite-size, cut them up before adding them to the soup.
Use the smallest oysters you can find.

* When I'm not making a double recipe, I usually dump the entire (about
1-cup) container of whipping cream into the soup, even though that's double
what the recipe calls form.

* The timing on cooking the oysters is fairly critical. If you overcook
them, they will be rubbery.

: Difficulty: easy.
: Time: 20 minutes.
: Precision: measure the spices.

: Deborah Pedersen
: Microelectronics Computer Corporation, Austin TX
: pedersen@mcchi2.ARPA

: Copyright (C) 1986 USENET Community Trust

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